R&B singer Emeli Sande signs new publishing deal

A SCOTS medical student has been signed up to music giants EMI publishing after composing the Mobo-nominated Chipmunk record Diamond Rings.

Emeli Sande – who is about to start her fourth year of medicine at Glasgow University – signed a deal with the music giants on Thursday.

It comes after she penned the platinum-selling tune – while vacuuming in her bedroom.

An excited Emeli, who will be at the Mobo awards in Glasgow next month, said yesterday: “I am now a professional songwriter.”

“Let the writing commence”

The 22-year-old has been writing and performing her own songs since she was 11, and is thrilled to have finally have her songs used by artists.

She said: “I have been working to this since I was 11. Eleven years later here I am – let the writing commence.”

As well as Chipmunk, Cheryl Cole has recorded Emeli’s song ‘Boys’ for her upcoming solo project.

But writing was something the Aberdeen-born artist never though she would do seriously – as with many things in her life it came about through a chance meeting.

Naughty Boy

Emeli said: “I was doing a show in London for 1Xtra and I met this guy called Naughty Boy.

“He has been trying to build up his name as a producer and asked if I wanted to work with him on a few things.

“We got in the studio and we clicked work wise. I just really enjoyed listening to what he was doing – it was so different from other people’s stuff.

“We just started writing, not necessarily for me, we just thought ‘lets write a pop tune’ and experiment.

“And we wrote the Chipmunk track and I thought nothing of it. Naughty Boy sent it off to Chipmunk who really liked it and wrote his stuff around it.

“It’s just strange that some little song that I wrote in my bedroom has had so much success and airplay. It’s crazy.”

Daddy

But the performer is determined to make her name as a singer-songwriter rather than standing behind the success of other people, and plans to release her debut single later this year.

She said: “About five months ago I went to London to do showcases for about six different record companies.

“There’s been different interest in signing me up but I want to be in a stronger position so that’s why we decided to release a single independently.

“We’re going to release ‘Daddy’ in August and hopefully once that’s out there and people know who I am I’ll be in a stronger position to say what type of music I do and I can choose who I want to be with.”

Glasgow University

And finishing her education is one of the most important things to Emeli, whose manager, Adrian Sykes, has been waiting patiently since she was 16.

She said: “Adrian really respects that I want to get an education behind me. He also knows my parents are keen that I finish university.

“It’s really good having people behind you who aren’t rushing you to do something or don’t respect what you’re trying to achieve.

“I’ve managed to pass my exams in medicine and make things happen in music so the plan is to continue to try and balance it for the next two years and I’ll see how that goes.”